Bearing for centrifugal machines.



No. 778,481. PATBNTED DEG. 27, 1904.

K G. ENGEL. BEARING P0P. GENTRIPUGAL MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1, 1900.

INVENTOR if MOLM-wfw ATTORNEYS Patented December 27', 1904:.

trice@ j afnam GODEREY ENGEL, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BEARING FOR CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,481, dated December 27', 1904.

Application filed September l, 1900. Serial No. 28,852.

To @ZZ whom, it www concern,.-

Be it known that I, GODFREY ENGEL, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing' at Baltimore,

` State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bearings of Centrifugal Machines; and I do hereby declare the following' to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in bearings of centrifugal machines; and it consists in the novel construction of the headbearing for the revolving shaft or spindle of the machine and in the novel construction of the foot or step bearing for such machines.

rIhe objects of my invention are to improve the bearings of centrifugal machines and to avoid uneven wear of the bearings. These objects are attained in the centrifugal machine herein described, and illustrated in the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification, which shows an elevation and partial section of a centrifugal machine of the suspension type constructed in accordance with my invention.

In the drawing, 1 1 are I-beams from which the machine is suspended. Q is a suspension socket-piece supported from said I-beams 1 and having a substantiallgv spherical recess or socket adapted to receive the sphericallycurved head 3 of a suspension-bracket et. From this bracket et the curb 5 of the inachine is suspended by means of suspendingrods 6. rIhe curb is provided with spiderarms 7, which support the step-bearing of the machine, and therefore the revolving shaft 8 of the machine and its attached basket, which latter is concealed in the curb 5 and is not shown in the drawing, but may be of ordinary construction. rl`he bracket 4, curb 5, side rods 6, and spider-arms 7 constitute a frame for supportingthe basket-shaft.

Upon the shaft 8 is a belt-pulley 9, by which said shaft may be driven. As centrifugal machines have been usually constructed in the past the revolving shaft of the machine has been journaled at both ends in bearings which surround the shaft. This construction is objectionable, because the wear upon that bearing which is in proximity to the belt-pulley is greater in one direction than in the other, owing to the tension of the belt. Such uneven Wear is a fruitful source of trouble. I have avoided it in this machine by forming the upper bearing, which is closest to the belt-pulley, in the shaft itself, the journal being a pivot-pin carried by the suspensionbracket 4. 1() designates this pin. Its lower or journal portion is slightly tapered and tits within the recess 11 in the upper portion of the shaft 8. The upper portion of this recess is of sufficient diameter to 'receive a bearingbushing 12 of antifriction metal. The lower portion of the recess 11 forms an oil-reservoir, and in the shaft there is a drainage-opening normally closed by a screw-plug 13.

An oil-cup 111 is mounted upon the upper end of the shaft 8 and surrounds such upper end of said shaft. An oil-passage 15 extends through the shaft 8 and bushing 12 and serves to transfer oil from the cup 14 to the surface of the journal-pin 10. Vhen the machine is in operation, centrifugal force throws the oil from the bearing-surface into the cup 14, and such cup is of sufiicient size to hold all the oil so thrown up; but when the machine comes to rest the oil in the cup 14 flows back through the passage 15 to the wearing-surfaces, and thus keeps all the parts thoroughly lubricated.

It will be observed that because the upper bearing of the shaft 8 is on a spindle the wear of the bearing-bushing is uniform on all sides, since such bushing revolves with the shaft. rlhe bushing being soft relatively to the pin 10, such pin will not be appreciably worn.

The construction of the step-bearing of the machine is as follows: 16 is the bearing-cup adjustably supported from the spider-arms 7 by means of studs 17, but one of which is seen in the drawing. I/Vithin said cup is a bearingbushing 18, forming a bearing for the lower end of the shaft 8. Between said bushing 18 andthe cup 16 there is an oil-chamber 19, and perforations in the bushing serve to lead the oil from said chamber to the journal. The

cup 16 is extended above the bushing 18 to form an oil-cup 20, which cup is connected with the oil-chamber 19 by oil-holes 21, and the chamber 19 is connected by similar holes 22 IOO with the lower portion of the cup 16. pipe 23, connected to the cup 16 and provided at its upper end with a plug, by which it is normally closed, serves to supply oil thereto.

The cup 16 contains and supports a bearingblock Q4, within which are a number of bearing-buttons Q5 25, and in the lower end of the shaft 8 is a removable step-piece 26. The Construction of this portion of the step-bearing is that which is customary in centrifugal maehines.

Adjustment of the bearings is obtained by means of the studs 17 and also, if desired, by means of the nuts which hold the journal-spindle 10 in place.

In a divisional application for Letters Patent filed NovemberQ, 1903,Serial No.182,566, l have claimed the improved means herein described for lubricating the journals of the machine.

Having thus oom pletely described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Let* ters Patent, is4

1. rlhe combination with the revolving shaft of the machine1 and means for driving the san1e,of separate supporting and guiding bearl l l l ings for said shaft, one of the guide-bearings l An oili being a stationary journal located Within a socket at one end of the shaft and tapering` toward the opposite end of said shaft, and means for taking up Wear in said bearings.

2. The combination with the revolving shaft of the machine, of supporting and guiding bearings at one end of the shaft, and a tapering stationary guide-journal for the other end of the shaft fitting into a socket in said end, said journal tapering toward the opposite end of the shaft, means for taking up wear, and means for driving the shaft.

3. The combination with a suspensionbraeket suitably supported, and the revoluble shaft, of the spider suspended from said bracket and carrying guide and supporting bearings for the lower end of said shaft, a. downwardly-tapering journal-pin carried by said suspension-bracket and fitting within a bearing-recess in the upper end of the shaft1 and means for revolving said shaft.

1n testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GGDFREY ENGEL.

fitnessesz PHIL. L. HERMAN, NATHAN BRADLEY. 

